Page 4 of Love & Monsters
“What isss it?” A snake-like voice whispered back, the sound wrapping around me like a viper.
“No know. Found it in the woods.” I heard it scratching its bald head again. “Give gold for it, or we’s gonna eat it.”
The creature in the stall released a hissed chuckle. “You want me to pay for a thing and you don’t know what it isss?”
“Has curves, female parts good use. Hands and feet for to work.” Now the goblin was arguing his point, using me to push for a sale.
“I have plenty of workersss, but maybe I could take it.” I heard hands on the table across from me and closed my eyes when the wood groaned as the creature leaned forward. “But what isss it?”
A disturbance in the crowd made several beasts behind us gasp. I angled my head to the side, watching feet and hooves moving out of the way, nearly tripping over one another as someone shoved through the crowd. My eyes snapped back to my feet to avoid making eye contact with the monsters.
“I know what this is,” a low voice boomed. “That’s a human.”
“Human?” The goblin at my side squawked like a startled bird. From my peripheral vision I watched the goblins turn to the newcomer, and not a second later cower in fear.
“Yes, that’s a human. There hasn’t been a human here in hundreds of years. How did this happen?” The new stranger snatched up one goblin by the throat. All I could see was its little feet twitching off the ground as it choked.
“We no know!” One of the other green men jumped in to save his friend. “Found in the woods! Found in the woods!”
“Hm.” They dropped the goblin to the ground. Despite my numbness, my insides trembled. “I’ll take it off your hands. The Lord could use a new pet. I think this one will serve him well.”
“For how much? We find human, we get paid for it.” I believed it was the third goblin speaking up this time since the first and loudest was gasping for air on his knees.
“No, you misunderstand me,” the stranger purred, followed by the sound of a sword slipping free of a scabbard.
Next thing I knew, the third goblin grunted. I heard flesh tearing as he was run through. In the corner of my eye, I saw his body fall to the ground, with those beady red eyes blankly staring at the sky as blood dripped from his lips.
“You are giving me the human as a gift to your Lord. You are grateful for this opportunity to serve him, are you not?” The crowd went so silent I could hear my blood racing through my ears.
“Yes, sir! Spare us. No kill, please!” My eyes snapped open to see the goblins cowering against the table in the stall. I saw scaled green skin disappearing through a red curtain at the back of the stall seconds before a clawed hand curled over the back of my neck.
“It smells filthy, but there’s potential.” The new demon dug his claws into my neck. A yelp squeaked past my lips as they bodily jerked me around. “Yes, certainly potential.”
I came face to face with alabaster pale skin, waist length straight silver hair that looked like moonlight, and eyes like pale blue ice. White horns curled like a ram from the side of his head. When a cruel smile curled the corner of his lips, I noticed the sharp fangs in his mouth.
He pulled me closer, and I couldn’t breathe. My feet tripped over each other, but his grip on my neck kept me upright. The monster towered at least two feet taller than me, casting a shadow over my face, even in the dark realm.
“A bath will do the human some good, but I imagine this gift will please the Lord.” The gleam in his pale eyes sent shivers down my back.
“No, please, no.” I don’t know where I found my voice after all this time. If I was going to beg, I suppose now was the time.
“It can speak.” His silver brows twitched up, and his pale eyes widened. With ease, he pulled me higher to his face, squeezing his fingers around my throat so hard that his nails pricked my neck and cut off my air. “Interesting. Take it to the manor.”
Without another word, the icy demon let go of my neck. I dropped to my knees on the hard stone, rubbing my throat and coughing from the force of his hand holding me up.
Six tall, lean beasts in blood red armor I hadn’t noticed before swooped in. The icy demon strolled away, looking over the stalls down the length of the crowded market as someone yanked me off the ground like a limp rag doll.
A pained whimper rushed from my chest as they gripped me tightly. Fresh waves of tears spilled down my face. One of the monster guards in red tossed me over his shoulder like a sack of grain. I closed my eyes again or else I would face the hoard of monsters watching us leave and the remaining live goblin men who had abducted me glaring after the haughty pale demon. I didn’t want to see it.
I was alone, and they outnumbered me.
Yes, I thought, this is Hell.
Four
Though I kept my eyes closed most of the walk through the city of monstrous beasts, there were times they jostled me, and my eyes would open. The creatures I saw were nothing short of nightmares made of flesh, who looked at me as though I were their next meal. How could I survive in this world if I looked like lunch? Would this city Lord be any worse or better than if I was on my own?
Trapped in Hell when not even a day ago, I was sitting in an office leisurely drinking my favorite coffee and thinking about going for brunch with my friends once the weekend came. Now they spoke of some city Lord and how I was to be his new pet. What would that entail?
